Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
Tahquamenon Falls, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
I have seen a lot of trilliums, but this is the first trilliums I have seen with green stripes.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
A Holy Ambition is a collection of sermons by John Piper (and one article by David Mathis) on the topic of missions. After a sermon and the article introducing missions, the book is divided into three parts: a Biblical theology of gospel-centered missions, the mandate of world missions, and the costs and blessings of mission. It closes with a final sermon, plus two appendices: one arguing against prosperity preaching and the other declaring 14 driving convictions behind missions.
Overall the book was challenging. I’m sure different sermons will hit hard on different people, but I was especially challenged by three. The first sermon which introduced the book calls us to a holy ambition to reach those who have never heard. The sixth sermon was based on John 10:16 and ended with four reasons we can do missions confidently. And the tenth sermon calls us to be willing to suffer to accomplish the mission.
Recommended to fuel your desire for missions whether God calls you to go or simply grow in prayer and giving.
It has been awhile since I featured pictures of creation that declare God’s glory. This week I want to feature some pictures of trilliums which are in full bloom in May. I’m not much of a flower person, but I like trilliums. These flowers are apparently rare, but they happen to flourish in and around my yard.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20
As I continue to read about Jonathan Edwards, I enjoyed the collection of essays found in the book, A God Entranced Vision of All Things edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor. The essays are based on several addresses from a conference focused on the contributions of Jonathan Edwards. The book begins with three chapters addressing his legacy, his life, and his wife’s life. Part Two shares lessons we can learn from his life and teachings on revival, spiritual disciple, and church life. The final chapter in part two addresses the issue of Edwards owning slaves. Part Three explores some of his most important works on sin, the will, and religious affections. All in all, the book makes a good introduction to his life and teachings, and provides plenty of challenges for our lives today.
I have been sharing quotes from two books on humility for the last few weeks. Both are excellent books that I want to commend to you.
Humility: The Forgotten Virtue is by Wayne A. Mack (with Joshua Mack). The Macks explore our humility before God based on both God’s superiority to us and God’s purity compared to our sin. They then explore humility toward each other, and the follies of sin. They close with two chapters on how to grow in humility. As I was reading, I thought perhaps I was reading Jerry Bridges – which is to say that the entire book is a wonderful exploration of the Biblical passages that deal with the issue, organized as I have outlined above. As such, the book could be used as a rich Bible study. Indeed, each chapter ends with application and discussion exercises.
Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney explores humility in three parts. First, he defines humility and pride. Mahaney focuses on our humility before God based on God’s purity compared to our sin. Second, he looks at Jesus, who humbles himself to save us from our sins. Third, he takes well over half of the book to suggest practical ways to grow in humility. This section alone is worth the price of the book.
I would recommend both books together. Read the Macks as they dig deep into a Biblical exploration of humility, and then turn to Mahaney for the practical applications. Both books deal with both issues, but the Macks just dig deeper and Mahaney applies further.
Humility vs pride is an issue for all of us. And so these are two excellent books that I would recommend be read by all of us that we might grow in our passion for God and compassion for people.
Last week I shared some past posts on Passion Week. Here are three past posts on Easter:
Questions for Easter Gatherings – Great questions to ask at your Easter gatherings to lead into discussions of the cross and resurrection.
Easter Week Reflections – Reflections for Easter and following week.
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today – An investigation into the hymn that many will sing on Easter Sunday. I can’t wait!
Brian J. Mikul 